Kalagodu Ratnakar, president of the Shivamogga Zilla Panchayat, has directed the officials of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) to ensure supply of quality milk powder for the Ksheera Bhagya scheme.
There have been several complaints that the milk powder supplied to schools was not dissolving in the water easily. The date of packing was not printed on the packets. The KMF officials should address the problem at the earliest, failing which it would become inevitable to purchase milk powder from other sources, he said at a meeting in Zilla Panchayat hall here on Wednesday to review the progress of implementation of Karnataka Development Programmes (KDP).
He said this year, Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as the monkey fever, had surfaced in the district in October itself. A positive case had been reported from Konandur village and the patient had recovered. The officials of the Department of Health and Family Welfare should undertake vaccination against the disease on a war-footing. In addition, awareness programmes on the measures to be taken to prevent the outbreak of the disease should be organised in the villages in Malnad region, he said.
Mr. Rathnakar directed District Health Officer Nagaraj Naik to establish a separate unit at the Government McGann Hospital to treat the victims of sexual assault. It was necessary to ensure immediate medical care for such victims, he said.
Deputy Director of Department of Horticulture M. Vishwanath told the meeting that Rs. 6 crore was required to provide farm equipment to farmers engaged in the cultivation of horticulture crops in the district this year. A proposal had been submitted to the government in this regard, he said.
Vice-president of Zilla Panchayat Gayathri Shanmukhappa, president of Standing Committee on Education and Health S. Kumar, president of Standing Committee on Social Justice Krishne Gowda, Chief Executive Officer B. Ramu were present at the meeting.